Date Night
by wannabewriter07
Summary: Morgan's mother is coming into town, so Morgan asks Greg to pretend to be her boyfriend to appease her mother. But does more come of it than they expect? One of two parts (maybe more?)
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh!" Greg could hear Morgan's frustrated groan from the hallway. He peeked into the break room, watching her shake her phone in anger and then bury her face in her hands.

"Problem?" he asked, walking in.

"My mother's coming to visit," came her muffled answer as she pulled up to look at him.

"And that's a problem because? I thought you got along with your mom," he said sitting in the seat beside her.

"I do, from a distance. But ever since I hit the thirty one mark, all she ever does is criticize my personal life. You know, like: Morgan, you're not getting any younger. Morgan, a man is not going to want to marry a workaholic. Morgan, I would like to have grandchildren while I can still enjoy them, not as a frail old lady in a nursing home. You get the gist," she explained. Greg laughed pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"My parents are the same way. In fact, your mom sounds a lot like mine," he said.

"Yeah, well, the problem is I told her I had a boyfriend a couple of months ago to get her off my back, and now she is expecting to meet him." Greg eyed her raising his eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

"You sound like Hodges," he said taking a sip of his coffee. "Doesn't he owe you a favor for that? Maybe he can pretend to be your boyfriend." She shot him a look, her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, that worked out real well. Anyway, we are not exactly on speaking terms right now after that stupid rumor he spread. I'm liable to murder him halfway through dinner, even if I did ask." She smiled keeping her eyes fixed on Greg. "You, however, I feel less inclined to kill."

Greg froze as he was about to take another sip of coffee. "Good to know, considering our job. Are you asking me to be your fake boyfriend?"

She looked at him pleading. "Would you? Please, just for one day." He drank his coffee, watching her, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Well, that depends. What do I get out of this little arrangement?" he asked. Morgan rolled her eyes.

"A free steak dinner and a date with a beautiful woman," she remarked. Greg sat up straighter, mulling over the decision, enjoying Morgan's tortured expression as she waited for his answer.

"As tempting as that sounds, I have few demands of my own," he said, his smirk growing as he spoke.

"What?" Morgan asked, caution in her voice.

He leaned on the table, setting down his coffee cup. "Well, first things first, how about you buy my coffee for a year? You and Finn are always stealing it." He tapped his cup.

"That stuff is like forty dollars a bag!" she scoffed.

"Then stop stealing it!" he shot back. "That's not all. I also need a date to a friend's wedding next weekend and wouldn't mind showing up with a beautiful woman on my arm. If you can agree to my terms, then you've got yourself a deal."

"Fine," she agreed. "But you better act like the best boyfriend ever. That coffee isn't cheap."

He moved closer to her, close enough to whisper in her ear. "Trust me. I will. In fact, you'll be begging for more." A shiver ran down her spine as his warm breath hit her neck. When she turned to look at him, she caught a glimpse of him leaving through the door, a slight bounce in his step as he walked away.

Greg stood outside Morgan's door, more nervous than he shouldn't been. It wasn't real, after all, but he couldn't shake the apprehension he felt about meeting Morgan's mother. He wanted to impress, and deep down, he knew why and the real reason he agreed to this date. He was in love with Morgan, but he never had the courage to actually do anything about it before. This was his chance.

As he straightened his tie, the door opened. There she stood. Draped in a green dress that matched the brilliant color of her eyes, she smiled and welcomed him in. He took a moment to catch his breath and then followed her inside.

"Greg," she said leaning against him, "these are my parents, Jerry and Judy Brody." She motioned to an older couple who had been seated on the couch but now rose to meet him.

"Nice to meet you," he said shaking their hands. Morgan's mother gave him a tightlipped smile and an once over look.

"Why, Gregory, you are even more handsome than Morgan let on," Judy Brody said watching as Greg gave an embarrassed Morgan a loving glance and a smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Brody. I can see where Morgan gets her beautiful smile from," he responded. Morgan's eyes went downcast as she blushed, the aforementioned smile shyly peeking through.

"Well, our reservations are at eight. We better get going," Morgan said, moving everyone along.

"So tell me, Gregory. What are you plans for the future?" Judy probed in the car ride to the restaurant, turning to gather the reaction of the awkward couple in the backseat.

"Mother! Please, let's not do this now." Morgan pleaded, fixing her gaze out the window in hopes of decreasing the embarrassment she felt rising up in her.

"I'm sorry, dear. I was just curious about this gentleman in your life," her mother responded.

"It's not a big deal. What do you mean, Mrs. Brody?" Greg asked trying to appease both of them.

"Well, Morgan tells us, you are a CSI like her. That is quite a time consuming job. I should know. I was married to one. Any plans on moving up to a position with a more stable schedule? You know, one that might accommodate a family someday?"she prodded.

"Mother!" Morgan could feel herself sinking lower in her seat, mortified.

"Actually, there is a supervisor position opening up on day shift that I'm considering taking," he said. Morgan stared at him now, surprised etched on her face.

"You are?" she asked, shocked.

"Yeah, your dad mentioned it the other day, and I told him I was interested." Their eyes locked as silence filled in the space between them.

"Oh, that's wonderful. That will make it so much easier on Morgan when she decides to stay home with the children," Judy broke the tension by creating more.

"MOTHER!" Morgan practically screamed, covering her face with her hands.

"Judy, let up on the kids a bit. We haven't even got to the restaurant yet," her husband Jerry tried to reason with her as he drove, entering the parking garage.

Greg and Morgan walked behind her parents, following them to the restaurant.

"Why didn't you say anything before? About the job?" she whispered to him as they walked.

"I just found out yesterday. I'm still thinking it over. Why does it matter?" he whispered back.

"Well we just wouldn't work together anymore. I would miss you." Her voice was soft with an edge of sadness to it.

He stopped walking and grabbed her hand. He spun her to face him and tucked a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Morgan, I -" He leaned towards her, pressing his forehead against hers. She caught her breath, bracing herself for his next move.

"Morgan, Gregory, hurry up! They won't seat an incomplete party," Judy yelled out to them. Greg stepped back.

"We should go," he said walking ahead as Morgan stood glued in place. Her mind raced. What just happened?

Morgan passed her menu to the waiter as he went to place their orders. She took a sip of her wine, trying to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure how to act since her and Greg's strange encounter in the parking lot.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Jerry asked. Morgan and Greg exchanged a brief glance.

"Um…six months?" Morgan said unsure of anything she said or of anything she felt. Greg nodded, going along with her lie.

"That's right. Six months," he said, drinking a glass of merlot.

"Sounds serious," Judy smiled. "So, is marriage on the horizon?" Greg nearly choked on his wine, coughing as he struggled to breathe.

Morgan patted his back. "Oh my God! Greg, are you okay?" He nodded, still unable to speak. "Mother!" she hissed, shooting her a icy glare. "Can you just stop it? Let's talk about something else. Please!"

"I'm sorry. Greg, forgive me. It's just been so long since we met anyone that Morgan has dated. I guess I forgot my manners. Please, tell us more about you?" Judy said, guilt washing over her.

"Sure. Let's see. I grew up in California. San Francisco. My family still lives there." He took a drink of water. "I went to Stanford and then started working at the Las Vegas crime lab. I've been there about fifteen years now."

Judy nudged Jerry, as she listened. "Well, that's wonderful. You sound like quite the accomplished young man. Morgan has scored herself quite a catch."

Greg took Morgan's hand in his. "Thank you, Mrs. Brody, but I'm the lucky one. Morgan is one of a kind." Morgan looked at him, feeling the heat of his skin against her own. She squeezed his hand, and mouthed the words "thank you" to him.

The rest of the dinner went rather smoothly despite its rough start. Judy told Greg stories about Morgan growing up, and Morgan and Greg talked about some of the crazier cases they had worked on together. Morgan felt a little heartsick reminiscing with Greg, knowing they would be seeing less of each other soon.

The ride home was quieter. Morgan became tired after consuming so much alcohol, steadying her now tranquil nerves. She rested her head on Greg's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the top of her forehead, the touch of his lips lingering as she drifted off.

She woke up, feeling the warmth of his body against hers as he carried her in the house.

"Sorry, Greg. Morgan must have been really tired. She normally doesn't drink like that." Her mother's voice echoed in her head as Greg set her down on the living room couch. He moved to leave, but she grabbed his arm causing him to kneel down next to her. She pulled him close to her, kissing him briefly. His lips brushing softly against hers.

"Thank you," she whispered searching his soft surprised brown eyes. She fell back asleep, and Greg slowly moved away. He said goodbye to her parents before exiting. Standing outside her door once more, he leaned against it, his heart beating fast. What just happened?


	2. Chapter 2

Morgan was in desperate need of coffee as she stood in the break room willing the coffee maker to brew faster. Every sound felt like someone was drumming on the back of her skull. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so hungover. College, maybe? Thank God her mother was leaving tomorrow. She had never been so grateful for the distance before, but after the disastrous dinner date she had subjected Greg to, she was starting to question if Las Vegas was even far enough away to escape her mother's intrusion into her personal life.

"Still stealing my coffee?" Greg's voice vibrated inside her head. She turned and held up a finger to shush him as she drank her cup of the forbidden coffee, the caffeine lessening her monstrous headache.

"I'm paying for it now, so I consider it _our_ coffee for the next year," she said moving to the table to sit down.

"So last night was…" Greg paused trying to find the right word.

"Mortifying?" Morgan finished for him. "I'm sorry for my mom, and anything else that happened after my fifth glass of wine. My memory gets a little fuzzy at that point whenever I replay last night in my mind. I didn't do anything stupid, right? I have this strong feeling of remorse and have no idea why."

"You've already forgotten how you declared your undying love for me and then serenaded me with a surprisingly good rendition of I Will Always Love You?" he teased, smirking.

"Oh my God! I didn't." Morgan groaned, her cheeks flushing red. Greg laughed.

"No, you just fell asleep, but you feel better about earlier now, right?" he said pouring his own cup of coffee as he sat down next to her.

She shot him an evil eye. "Watch it, or you'll be on my hit list next to Hodges." They were still laughing when they heard a knock on the door.

"Mother! What are you doing here?" Morgan asked, spotting her mother at the entrance to the break room. Greg took a sip of his coffee averting his eyes from both women.

"Well, Jerry and I were talking, and we felt we really didn't get to spend much time with you. We would love to take you to brunch before we leave," Morgan's mother said smiling.

"You could have called," Morgan said.

"Yes, dear, I could have but it's harder for you to reject me in person."

"Ok, Mom. I'll call you when I get off work," Morgan relented.

"Great! Gregory, of course, you are invited too. We actually have some things we wanted to discuss with both of you," Judy said.

Greg shot a glance Morgan's way. "Mom, Greg is probably exhausted after last night. We can just make it the three of us," she said.

"Oh, nonsense. You can join us, right Gregory?" Judy pushed. Greg shrugged and smiled.

"Sure, I would love to," he said, sipping again on his coffee.

"Wonderful! I'll make the reservation for five then," Judy said.

"Five? Who else is coming?" Morgan hedged, feeling her headache returning with a vengeance.

"Oh, well I just ran into your father in the hall, and he was very interested in spending time with you and your boyfriend also. You know, he actually seemed a little surprised when I told him you two were dating. This will be fun. Like a family reunion of sorts." She watched them both, glowing with excitement. Greg spit his coffee back into his cup and gave Morgan a nervous look.

Morgan closed her eyes, pressing her fingers against her temple. "You talked to Dad. You two haven't spoken since my college graduation. Why are on earth would you invite him, let alone talk to him about my personal life?" she said trying to remain calm.

"Morgan, sweetheart, you are entering a new stage in your life. I feel like we should all be on the same page, especially if things are becoming as serious between you two as I expect they are after what I saw last night." She gave them a knowing smile, reaching for her buzzing phone. "Well I have to go. That's Jerry. He's waiting on me. So, brunch, then? Call me when you get off work. Bye dear. Bye Gregory." She turned to leave, talking on the phone during her departure.

Greg looked up to find Morgan staring at him. "What exactly happened last night, Greg?" she questioned him, anger edging in her voice.

"So, do I get any additional compensation for this extra date?" Greg asked backing the car out of the parking lot. They were on their way to meet Morgan's parents.

"You get to live another day. How about that? How could you not tell me that I kissed you?" Morgan sighed.

"It wasn't a bad kiss. It was nice. Granted, a little sloppy with you being sloshed and all," Greg teased, as Morgan playfully punched him in the arm.

"That's it. No mimosas for me. Seriously, Greg, don't let me drink, because I am going to definitely want to." She gazed out the window as she nervously picked at her fingernails. He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze causing her to turn and look at him.

"Everything is going to be okay. It's just one more meal, right? How bad can it be?"

"You've never seen my parents together. You have no idea."

Morgan's mother, father, and stepfather were already seated when they walked in. Greg pulled out Morgan's chair for her and then sat beside her.

"Great, everyone is here. A round of mimosas for everyone," Jerry told the waitress. Morgan eyed Greg.

"No, that's okay. Make mine a virgin," Morgan corrected as the waitress left to get the drinks. Greg could feel the heat of Ecklie's stare on him as he sat across the table from his boss.

"So, Greg, Judy tells me you are dating my daughter. Have been for a while in fact." Ecklie said.

"Dad," Morgan shot a warning. "Let's just enjoy our meal, okay?"

"Okay, okay. I just find it interesting is all. Two days ago, you come to talk to me about a supervising position on a different shift, and today I find out that you're involved with my daughter," Ecklie continued.

"Dad, let it go. Mom, we really didn't get to talk about you much the other night. What's going on with you?" Morgan redirected the conversation. They all listened as Judy went on about the renovations she and Jerry were doing to their new home. Morgan and Greg sat awkwardly avoiding each other, pretending to concentrate on what Judy had to say. Ecklie's gaze wavered from one of them to the other throughout the chat.

Morgan nibbled at her eggs, still feeling queasy from her earlier hangover. She watched Greg smother his crepes in syrup, sending her nausea over the edge.

"Excuse me," she said, turning pale and racing to the restrooms. Everyone turned to look at Greg as she left.

"She's not feeling very well today," Greg said, wishing the time would move quicker. This was worst than he imagined.

"So, Greg, I know we kind of broached the subject of marriage last night," Judy started making Greg pause, fork in air mid bite. "But Morgan is our only daughter and we would all love to know if you two were planning something in the near future, or have at least discussed it." Greg glanced towards the restroom doors, saying a silent prayer that Morgan would hurry up and save him.

"Yes, Greg. What are your intentions with Morgan?" Ecklie eyed Greg suspiciously. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Greg panicked. Where was Morgan?

"Spit it out. Is Morgan pregnant? Is that what all this is about?" Conrad Ecklie raged. Greg's eyes grew wide, and he gasped for air, rendered momentarily speechless.

"Oh my God! Dad! No!" Morgan's voice caused Greg to shift towards her, thankful for the interruption.

"Oh Morgan, are you? That's would be wonderful, although you really shouldn't drink like that when you're expecting," Judy frowned.

"Mom! Dad! I'm not pregnant. I'm hungover. Good Lord! Look what you have done to poor Greg, and I've only been gone five minutes." She said motioning to the man beside her whose face was drained colorless. "We work with murderers and harden criminals on a daily basis, and I have never seen him this scared before."

"That's it," she continued. "We're leaving. Mom and Jerry, it was great seeing you. I promise to call you more often, Mom. Just stop harassing me about my personal life. You know, thirty is the new twenty. It's no longer the end of a woman's life if she isn't married by the time she reaches thirty five. And Dad, stop jumping to conclusions. I will explain everything to you tomorrow, but right now, I'm going home and am going to nurse my hangover with some much needed chocolate and rest. Good bye." She pulled Greg up by his arm and walked him out of the diner.

"Yeah, I think that little meeting is going to cost you at least six months more in coffee supply. Your family is certifiable. I mean, I always knew your dad could be a little insane, but wow!" Greg said as they sat in the parked car getting ready to leave. He glanced over at Morgan who was staring out the window, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Hey," he said softly brushing a tear away from her face with his thumb. "I was just kidding. You know that right? They just act like that because they love you. My family is the same way. Wait till you meet my mom…" he stopped mid sentence as she turned to look at him.

"She's right, though. I let work consume my life, and now that I realize what I want, now that I finally see it… it's too late."

"What are you talking about? You're young. You still have plenty of time-" Greg tried to console her.

"Not with you. How long until you start your new job and we never see each other? Huh? How long until we're not even friends anymore but just acquaintances who smile at each other in the hall and wonder what if?" she sniffled, cutting him off.

"Morgan, is that what this is about? That's never going to happen." He moved closer to her, crowding in next to her on the passenger side. He pulled her into a hug as she leaned against his shoulder.

How do you know?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, after today, your dad is probably not going to give me that job. Any man that spits venom like that when he thinks you're sleeping with his daughter is not really likely to promote you," Greg said holding Morgan tight as she gave a small laugh.

"Whatever. We'll tell him the truth tomorrow, and you'll get the job. You deserve that job, Greg. He's not going to deny it to you."

"Well, what if I don't want to tell him the truth? What if I'd rather have the lie be the truth?" he spoke softly, laying his chin against the crown of her head.

"What do you mean?" she asked, straightening up to look into his eyes.

"I mean everything your mom has talked about the past few days sounded nice. I kind of pictured it. You and me together, maybe with a family down the line. I'd take that over a promotion any day." He held his breath waiting for her response.

"But Greg, you deserve that job," she said searching his face for her answer.

"Yeah, but I'd rather deserve you more." He leaned in and kissed her. As they broke apart, she grinned at him.

"So, does this mean I don't have to pay for your addictively delicious overpriced coffee any more?" she asked, batting her eyes. He smiled leaning in to kiss her once more.

"No, you still do, but when I tell everyone you're my hot girlfriend at the wedding on Saturday, it will be the truth."

"Haha, you're hilarious," she retorted.

"Yeah, but I'm not _just_ hilarious. I'm your new hilarious boyfriend," Greg said, finally moving to start the car.

"And charming. Don't forget charming," she teased, rolling her eyes as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Always, baby. Always."

 **If you want me to keep going, let me know. I have a few more ideas I could continue with. Thanks for the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Sanders!" Greg cringed as he walked past Ecklie's office. He had been hoping to sneak by unnoticed, but he had to face the sheriff sooner or later. Guess it was going to be sooner rather than later.

"Yes sir?" he answered back.

"Come in here," Ecklie barked. Greg sighed. His shift had just started, but he could already tell it was going to be a long day.

Greg walked into the sheriff's office and sat in the chair opposite of Ecklie's desk. For a moment, neither of them spoke as Ecklie tapped his pencil on the desk, studying Greg.

"I spoke with Morgan this morning. She explained how you were doing her a favor and helping her out. I'm sorry if I jumped to conclusions and lost my temper. She is my only child, so you know how that goes. On the other hand, I may be a little over protective, but I'm not oblivious, Sanders," Ecklie said, staring Greg down.

"Sir?" Greg drew in a deep breath, dreading whatever was coming next.

"I'm a trained observer and a man. I see the way you look at Morgan. I know what that is all about." Greg shifted nervously in his seat. Ecklie gave him a thin smile. "Hell, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been that way myself with a woman. A few women actually. Look, Greg, I know you care about her, but I want you to think long and hard before you go there. And not just because I'm her father, although that is something to consider." Ecklie narrowed his stare as he continued. "This job really does a number on romantic relationships. You only need to look around to see that. I myself have been divorced three times and counting. And it only gets worse as you move up." Ecklie paused to hand Greg a large manilla envelope.

"What's this?" Greg asked taking it.

"Your contract for your new position as supervisor. You start your new schedule in two weeks. Congratulations." Greg stared at him dumbfounded.

"Seriously? You're giving me the job?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. Don't make me regret it. Now get out of here and get to work." Ecklie dismissed him with a shake of the hand. Greg gave him a nod and a grin while heading towards the exit. "Sanders," Greg paused at the door and turned to Ecklie. "Think about what I said." His smile faded as he quickly backed out of the door.

"I hear congratulations are in order," Sara Sidle said walking into the lab. Greg smiled looking up at her and then around to see if anyone else was listening.

"Thanks, but keep it on the down low. I don't want the news getting to everyone just yet." He set the case file he had been perusing on the table in front of him. "Can I ask you something and it not be weird?"

"I don't know, Greg. Can you?" Sara eyed him as she picked up the discard file, opening it and flipping through its contents.

"You and Grissom, when you two, you know, started dating in secret," Greg spoke without meeting her gaze, "how did you transition from working together to more without it being awkward here at the office?" He could sense the half smirk on her face without even looking up. "Just humor me, okay?"

"Why ever do you ask, Greg? Are you and Henry planning a romantic rendezvous later?" She teased watching Greg's face flush red.

"Just forget I said anything," He took the file from her hands and started to leave.

"Wait, Greg," she grabbed his arm, stopping him. "I'm sorry, but you have to admit, you walked into that one. Does this have something to do with you and Morgan?" Greg put his hand on her mouth to quiet her as he glanced around to make sure nobody had heard.

"Maybe," he whispered, pulling back his hand. "But that's not really public knowledge either."

"Do that again, and you will lose a finger," Sara warned. Greg backed away raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, then. Look, every relationship is different. You two have to do what's right for you. Whatever happens outside the lab will take its own course with the relationship. As far as the office goes, both of you already have the awkward tension there that makes everyone think you are together anyway so just keep doing that."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he said, hesitating."You ever regret it? You and Grissom, I mean?" He gauged her reaction.

She gave a sad smile. "Everyone has regrets, Greg. But Grissom and I? It was worth every moment." She paused contemplating. "I'm happy for you. You deserve to be happy, Greg. Plus, I win that bet I had with Nick, so we're all winners here." She patted him on the back stealing the file again and ignoring the confused expression he had on his face as she walked out of the room.

Greg had managed to keep the news about his promotion under wraps long enough to make it to the weekend. He knew he had to tell Morgan eventually, but he didn't want anything to spoil their first official date. The past couple of days had been amazing even if they had done nothing more than the same flirtatious dance they had managed to perfect over the years during their normal work routine. They both knew everything was leading up to tonight, and the anticipation made everything feel different and new.

Greg found himself once again waiting outside of Morgan's place, but excitement replaced the anxiety had felt the last time. She opened the door, stunning in a blue satin dress.

"Wow! You know you're not suppose to upstage the bride, right? Because, wow!" He exclaimed taking her hand. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." She winked and then brushed past him as she strolled to the car, glancing back to give him a seductive smile.

"What? That's all I get. This is Armani," he called out as he caught up to her, wrapping his arm around her.

"I'm sorry. You look incredibly handsome. Armani, huh? You really do have expensive taste," she said running her fingers down the front of his jacket as he opened the door for her.

He leaned into her, soaking in the moment before he kissed her. "I just know what I like," he said as his lips grazed hers, kissing her softly.

"Good to know," she said as they broke apart. Greg went to the driver's side, getting in and starting the car. "Alright Sanders," Morgan continued as they began moving down the road, "Give me the 411 on the wedding party. What do I need to prepare myself for?"

"Well, Rick and Stacy are the couple getting married. I've known Rick for years, all the way back to when I was just a lab rat. We worked together in the crime lab then, but he does lab work for a corporate company now. We used to go out and pick up chicks together. Well, before he met Stacy. She's real nice. You'll like her. Um, let's see…who else? There's the best man. Simon. He's an okay guy. Don't listen to a word he says though."

"Why? He likes to stretch the truth?" Morgan asked.

"No, not exactly. After a few cocktails, he tends to tell my dates more about my embarrassing past than I'm comfortable with," Greg said, glancing briefly at Morgan.

"Really? Well, I'll be sure to save a seat next to him at the bar," she teased. "I think it's only fair to have some interesting dirt on you after everything my mother told you the other night." She winced just thinking about the ill fated dinner.

"What? I thought those stories were cute. I especially loved the one about how you mooned everyone at your kindergarten graduation. I think it was my favorite." Greg smirked as Morgan let out a groan.

"Just wait. There will be payback," she said, blushing.

"I think breakfast with your family the other day was payback enough." Greg laughed.

"Okay, you've made your point. Anything else I should know?" Morgan watched him as he squirmed in his seat.

"No," he said forcing a smile. "Not yet anyway," he added under his breath.

"This place is pretty fancy," Morgan whispered to Greg as they took their seats for the ceremony. The chapel had a cathedral arch made of dark varnished wood that ended at the altar with high paned beautifully pieced stained glass windows. The marbled floor and detailed floral arrangements finished off the elegant decor.

"Looks like I'm not the only one with expensive taste," Greg replied, shifting his gaze around the place.

"Sanders? Hey man, I thought that was you. Good to see you." A short man with a dark beard and balding head sat down next to Greg in the plush-lined pew.

"Reggie, man. Long time, no see," Greg said shaking the man's hand. He motioned to Morgan. "Reggie, meet my girlfriend, Morgan Brody. Morgan, this is Reggie Howard. He worked with me and Rick in the lab back in the day."

"Nice to meet you," Morgan extended her own hand and a smile. Greg turned his attention back to Reggie.

"Man, how long has it been?What are you doing now?"

"Wow, it's been a least ten years. I'm a professor over at the university now. Married myself with two kids," Reggie opened his wallet to show them pictures of his family. "You still at the lab?" he asked Greg.

"Yeah, but I'm in the field now. CSI. I can't believe it's been over ten years," Greg responded.

"Hey, I heard a rumor that Ecklie is the new sheriff. Is that true? Man, we hated that guy. Remember that time we saran wrapped his Mercedes, and it took him like an hour to get in." Greg laughed nervously, watching Morgan out of the corner of his eye. "He was so pissed. Thank God he never figured out it was us."

"Yeah, good times." Greg watched as a sly smirk spread across Morgan's face.

"Anyway, it was good to see you and meet you, Morgan. I got to go find the wife," Reggie said leaving as they said goodbye.

"Yeah, it would be great if you could pretend you didn't hear any of that," Greg said to Morgan. Holding her devious smile, she interlaced her fingers with his and whispered in his ear.

"Oh, tonight is going to be so much fun. You better be on your best behavior, Sanders, because blackmail can be a bitch."

"God, you're sexy." He gave her a kiss. "But seriously, let's adopt the good old Las Vegas motto on this one. Whatever happens on date night, stays on date night. Otherwise, some people might hear about you flashing your cute butt to a bunch of five year olds."

She gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Hey, I was five myself."

He gave her a smirk of his own. "You're not the only one who can fight dirty."

"Touché," she relented, just as the ceremony was starting.

At the reception, Greg took the pleasure of introducing Morgan to all his old friends. They found their seats at one of the dinner tables. They had began making small talk with a couple sitting next to them, when Greg felt someone slap his back. He turned around to see Simon, the best man who couldn't mind his own business.

"Sanders, what is this beautiful woman doing with you? Doesn't she know better?" Simon grinned at Morgan. Greg shot Morgan a hesitant look.

"Morgan, this is Simon. Simon meet Morgan." Greg sighed as he began to reconsider the bright idea of bringing Morgan there in the first place. "I see you already started celebrated," he said waving away the wafting smell of alcohol from Simon's breath.

"Dude, you know I drink when I'm nervous. Hey, Morgan, did this guy ever tell you about the time we got so wasted we ended up streaking through the casino at Diamond Jacks?" Simon laughed, patting Greg on the shoulder. "Remember that. Good times, man. Good times." Greg gave a small tightlipped smile and then turned to Morgan.

"Hey, care to dance?" He stood up taking her hand and quickly pulled her away to the dance floor. "Sorry about that," he said wrapping his arms around her waist as they started moving to the music. "I was afraid of where that was going. The streaking story usually doesn't make it out until at least thirty minutes in."

Morgan laughed. "God, Greg, you were a regular juvenile delinquent."

"Yeah, except I was in my twenties. Let's just forget about it." He moved in closer as the song slowed down. "Besides, this is nice."

Everything else seemed to fall away as they enjoyed the moment, until another couple bumped into them. As they were sharing apologies, Greg realized he recognized the woman.

"Wendy? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh my God! Greg!" Wendy hugged him. "I work with Stacy. What are you doing here?"

"I'm friends with Rick. This is Morgan by the way," he said introducing the women. "Wendy used to work in the lab with Henry and Hodges."

"Speaking of that, I ran into Sara yesterday. She told me how you and Nick were moving on up in the world, with him becoming a lab director and you a supervisor. Congratulations! That's awesome."

"What? You got the job?" Greg closed his eyes not wanting to face Morgan. But he knew he had to.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you later tonight." He said hoping to soften the glare she was giving him. Wendy looked between both of them, sensing she had inadvertently started something. She said goodbye easing away from the now disgruntled couple.

Morgan scoffed as she stormed out of the ballroom and into the hall, Greg following in pursuit. He ran ahead of her blocking her path.

"How could you not tell me? I mean, what was all that the other night then? That I don't need a promotion if I have you crap. Is that why you took the job so you wouldn't have to see me when you break up with me?" Hurt edged out the anger from her voice.

"Morgan, listen to me. If anyone is going to break hearts in this relationship, it's going to be you. You already stole mine a long time ago." Greg pulled her into a hug, holding her tight as he continued speaking."Yes, it was wrong of me not to tell you, but truth be told, I've been dreading it. I hate that I won't see you at work every day, but this what we are doing here means so much more to me. I want what's best for us in the long run, and I think this new work situation is it. Please don't be mad at me, Morgan."

"Damn it! I want to be mad at you, but then you say stuff like that and I can't be." She laughed wiping away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "You still have a ways to go to make up for your sneakiness though. I expect full retribution."

Greg leaned his forehead against her cheek kissing away the remnants of the remaining tears. "Anything. Name your price. You want to hear some more humiliating Sanders stories?"

She smiled. "That might work. What have you got?"

"Well, if you want the really good stuff, you have to go to the source. I have a few days off before I start my new position in another week. How about you come with me to the family home in California and meet my folks?" he asked.

"Meet your parents? I thought this punishment was suppose to be for you." she retorted.

"Oh trust me, it will be. My mother will embarrass the hell out of me. You wouldn't want to miss that, right? Plus, I can show you all the sights. It could be our first getaway together." He nuzzled his face against hers. "What do you say?"

"I say you should have gone into sales. You're quite the negotiator. Let's do it," she said.

"Great," Greg looked around. "Say how about you and me get out of here, go back to your place, and maybe have a little fun." He wagged his eyebrows.

"Not so fast, Sanders. I'm not the kind of girl to put out on the first date. I think you're just going to have to wait until our little getaway. Consider it part of your punishment. Now, come on. You still owe me a dance." She took his hand leading him back inside to the ballroom.

"Technically, it's our third date," Greg reasoned.

"Nice try, but no dice. You just going to have to wait," she smirked caressing the nape of his neck as they started dancing again.

"God, this is going to be torture,"Greg said responding to her touch.

"Good," she whispered.

 **Thanks for all the reviews and support. I think I'm going to continue the story showing the progression of their relationship. If you have ideas or something you want to see, throw them at me. I'd love to hear them. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

The checkered cab pulled up in front of an elegant brownstone. Greg paid the driver, who thanked him and then turned quickly towards the opened window for fresh air. Morgan cringed, embarrassed about the soured smell radiating from her now stained dress. This little trip she had dreaming about for the past week was becoming nothing but a nightmare. First, the airline lost her luggage. Then, while waiting in line to talk with customer service about her missing suitcase, a toddler standing with the exhausted family in front of her had projectile vomited all over her.

"Are you sure your parents aren't here yet? I want to make a good first impression and smelling like baby barf is not what I had in mind," Morgan said, her stomach churning just at the thought.

"Relax," Greg said removing his own luggage from the back of the cab, "they won't be home for at least an hour. Besides, they are going to adore you, puke or no puke." He kissed her cheek and then moved his lips down her neck. He stopped, pulling away as the wind shifted giving him a sniff of the stench reeking from Morgan's clothes. "Although, a shower is probably not a bad idea."

"Thanks." Morgan rolled her eyes. Greg opened the door to the house. She was taken back by how upscale everything was. Obviously, Greg's family had money, and from the looks of how meticulously everything was arranged, they had high standards too. Morgan gulped, suddenly very nervous and unsure of herself. What if she didn't measure up to the high ideals they most certainly had for their only child?

"Here, this is my room." Greg led the way up the stairs to his old bedroom. He set his things by the bed as Morgan browsed through his remnants of his childhood. She ran her fingers over the books, trophies, and awards that lined his bookshelf.

"Science fair, first place three years in a row. Impressive." She smiled watching him as he rummaged through the bureau drawers.

"President of the science club too,"he said handing her a t shirt and sweatpants. "That sounded cooler in my head. Now I realize I just sound like a dork." Morgan took the clothes, examining them.

"A dork who likes Marilyn Manson," she said holding up the old faded concert shirt. "Where the bathroom?" Greg directed her to a door on the side.

"The door doesn't shut all the way, and the lock is broken," he told her as he kicked off his shoes and laid back on the bed. "Let me know if you need help." She shot him a dirty look. "I meant with working the shower. Not that I would mind helping you out in other ways." He smirked.

"Maybe later. If I'm even still welcome here after having to meet your parents in your old sweats. I swear, they better find my luggage fast." She closed the door and Greg heard the water start running, sending his mind to wonder about what was on the other side of that door and how much longer until he could enjoy it. He turned on the tv to clear his thoughts.

After drying off, Morgan threw the shirt over her. She loved Greg's familiar scent of spice and cedar that enveloped her, still clinging to the decades old t shirt. While the top fit snug against her, the sweatpants were another story. They hung low on her hips and threaten to fall with any sudden movement. She used one hand to hold them up as she exited the bathroom.

"I don't think these pants are going to work," she said. Greg sat up straighter running his eyes over her in the form fitting tee.

He sat at the edge of the bed and grabbed her waist, pulling her against him. "How do you do it?" he purred in her ear.

"Do what?"

"Make everything look so damn sexy." He kissed her aggressively as she fell into him. They were too lost in the moment to hear the knock on the bedroom door, or when it began to open.

"Greg? Are you up here? Oh-" A slender older woman with eyes that mirrored Greg's peeked behind the door. Startled, they broke apart. Momentarily, Morgan forgot about her clothing dilemma until she felt a breeze hit her thighs and realized she was standing in front of Greg and his mother in a tight Marilyn Manson t-shirt and a pair of blue panties, the oversized sweatpants now circling her ankles. To make matters worse, her stained attire from earlier was strewn over the sink in the opened bathroom, giving the impression that much more had occurred. Morgan silently cursed herself as she quickly hauled the pants back up to her waist.

"Mom, this is Morgan Brody," Greg stiffened as he moved to his feet. "Um.. Morgan, this is my mother Else Sanders."

Morgan's face was a bright shade of crimson as she gave a weak wave with her free hand. "I'm so sorry. The airline lost my luggage and I borrowed some of Greg's clothes, but they…um, don't seem to fit." She explained lowering her gaze while giving an embarrassed smile.

Greg's mother smiled warmly, compassion in her voice as she spoke. "Oh no, dear! That is a problem. Here come with me. I probably have something you can wear." She took Morgan's free hand and led her out of the room to another one down the hall. "Oh, Greg, honey," she called out as they were moving. "Turn that tv down. It's too loud."

"It's such a pleasure to have you here, dear. We never get to have company over." Else's muffled voice came from the closet as she searched for something for Morgan, who stood awkwardly by the door making an effort to make sure all her clothes stayed on. "In fact, you are the first girlfriend of Greg's I've ever met." The words became clearer as Else came into view, several items in her hands. "Here try these on." She handed them to Morgan.

"Really?" Morgan was a little taken back by what she had said about Greg. "You've never met anyone he's dated before?" She took the clothes and scurried off to the nearby bathroom to change.

"Well, you know my son. He tells us all about his job and his friends, but I have to drag any tiny fragment about his love life out of him." Else continued the conversation on the other side of the door. "But we are so glad to have you here, dear. Delighted, in fact. You just make yourself right at home."

Morgan opened the door, now wearing a purple dress that fit much better and without any risk of exposure. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Sanders," she said.

"Oh you are very welcome. It looks better on you anyway," Else smiled. "Oh, to be young again. Well, I'm going to check on my roast in the oven. Why don't you take the rest of those things over to the guest room?" She motioned to the room next to Greg's. "Then you two can come downstairs and keep me company. I would love for you to tell me all the details my son won't." She patted Morgan on the hand and then began down the stairs, humming a cheerful tune as she went. Morgan felt a mix of relief and anxiety wash over her. She knew now where Greg got his charming ability to put everyone at ease. But knowing she was the first girl Greg had ever introduced his mother to made her feel anything but that.

"Hey, I thought you were the one who supposed to be humiliated, not me." Morgan marched into Greg's room pinning him back against the dresser. Greg laughed and then tickled her neck with kisses.

"Yeah, but you're so much better at it and so cute when you're embarrassed. By the way, blue is a great color on you." He smirked.

Morgan looked down at her outfit confused. "This is purple-" Then it dawned on her what he was referring to and she shoved him farther against the bureau as he laughed harder.

"So when do I get to see you in that color again?" he asked.

"Play your cards right, and maybe tonight will be your lucky night." She kissed him again, slow and sensual. "But right now, your mom wants us downstairs for dinner. Oh and to talk about your love life." She shot him a seductive smirk and strolled away as he shook his head in frustration.

"So Greg, how come you've never introduced your parents to any of other girlfriends?" Morgan asked causally as she helped Else prepare the table for dinner. Both women paused eagerly waiting for his response.

Greg shifted his gaze between them sighing. He was cornered. He should have nicer to Morgan and not teased her so much. Maybe then she would have been his ally instead of ganging up against him with his mother.

"Morgan's special. What can I say?" he answered hoping to end the conversation. Instead he spurred it on.

"I can see that, dear. So tell me about this special relationship between you two. When did it start and where is it heading?" Else asked putting her son on the spot.

"Mom, we just started dating. We haven't really discussed the future yet." Morgan was surprised to see Greg blush as he spoke.

"Let's talk about it now." She wasn't even sure where that came from. Else looked at them both excitedly while Greg stared at her dumbfounded.

"Okay," Greg drug out the word unsure of where to go from there. His mother started filling in the gaps with uncomfortable questions.

"So where do you two want to be a year from now?" she asked, studying Greg and Morgan.

"Together," Greg said curtly.

"Married, engaged, dating?" Else pushed.

"Engaged would be nice," Morgan said quickly averting her eyes. "Or whatever you were thinking Greg." She tried to recover, not wanting to seem too enthusiastic.

"Sure," Greg gave a nervous smile.

"Great. What about kids?" Else continued questioning.

"Mom!"

"Greg, honey, you're not getting any younger. You need to discuss these things up front. Before you realize you don't agree and your heart gets tangled up," she commanded, and then turned her attention to Morgan. "You want a family, don't you dear?"

"Sure. I mean, one day, that would be nice." Morgan responded eyeing Greg's reaction.

"How many? How soon?" Greg's mother's prodding resumed.

"Um…" Both looked to the other to answer when the door opened and a tall large man with dark hair and eyes entered the house.

"Dad," Greg turned away grateful for the distraction. "This is Morgan Brody. Morgan, this is my dad Gordon Sanders." Morgan went to shake his hand and was carried off into a sweeping hug.

"Nice to finally meet you, darlin'. Now let's eat."

Greg's sense of humor definitely came from his father as the older man regale them with yet another hilarious tale of Greg's childhood antics.

"And there the boy was, naked as a jaybird, running down the street. Else never let me watch him alone again." He laughed looking lovingly at his wife who sat next to him at the dinner table. Greg groaned.

"Wow, Greg, you sure are naked in a lot in all these stories I'm hearing about you," Morgan teased grinning at him.

"Hey, I don't think you have any room to talk." He put his arm around her shoulder inching closer to her. Morgan blushed and stared down at her food, glancing briefly at Greg to give him a scowl soften by her small smile. "Sorry baby," he brushed his lips against her ear.

"Morgan, do you want to see some pictures of Greg as a child?" Else asked.

"Yes, please." Morgan followed her as she led them all to the living room where they sat looking through old photos and remembering good times.

"Look at how cute you were. What happened?" Morgan pointed to a picture of Greg as a baby. "Awww, look here you are naked again, just like all your stories."

"Let me see that," Greg snatched the photo away. "Well I don't have as much baby fat anymore. It's all muscle and well, you know, more." Morgan smacked him on the shoulder. Greg laughed and leaned in to whisper. "You'll see later." He winked.

"Oh Greg was such a doll as a baby. I loved dressing him up." Else smiled at her son. "I can't wait to have another little baby around to play with. It has been a while." Morgan and Greg exchanged a glance.

"Maybe we should check out my high school yearbook. Just as awkward, but no babies and nakedness." Greg grabbed another book off the shelf and they spend the next few hours just listening to Greg reminisce.

After saying goodnight to Greg's parents, Morgan and Greg found themselves undressing and falling into Greg's bed.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to do this," he said as he helped her remove her dress.

"Oh I have an idea," she said stripping him of his shirt. He ran his hands over her, both of them feeling the intensity build with every touch.

"I think blue is my new favorite color," he whispered helping her remove the last of her garments. They let their inhibitions dissolve as they spend the rest of the night exploring each other and then falling asleep in a loving embrace.

"Greg, Greg." He felt someone tugging on his shoulder as a woman's voice woke him from his deep slumber. He opened his eyes to see Morgan still asleep beside him, her bare back facing him. The shaking and talking continued though, confusing him. He tilted his head to come face to face with his mother.

"Jesus Christ! Mom! What are you doing here?" He yelled pulling the covers further up over him. Morgan stirred at his voice and froze, clinging to the covers when she saw Else standing next to Greg.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude, but someone from the airline dropped this off." She held up Morgan's suitcase. "I thought Morgan might need it, but I couldn't find her in her room." She gave a slight frown as Morgan and Greg shifted uncomfortably under the sheets. "I think you two need to talk about speeding up your timeline a bit, if you are going to be practically living together. I'll see you in a bit for breakfast. I hope you like pancakes, Morgan."


	5. Chapter 5

Watching his mother leave the room, Greg sat up wiping his face with his hands. He glanced at Morgan who still wore a deer in headlights expression.

"So, good morning," he started, shifting to face her.

"Good is not exactly the word I would use," she eyed him warily. "Last night, however, was amazing." A slow smile spread across her face as she ran her fingers over Greg's chest, tracing the definition of his muscles.

"Oh, yeah?"Greg grinned. "Up for a repeat?" He moved in closer to her, but she pressed her hands firmly against him, stopping him.

"Not so fast, Romeo. The walls seem to have ears and eyes, and the doors," she gestured towards it, "no locks. Besides, I now have to mentally prepare myself for breakfast and facing your mother who knows we had sex." She winced at the thought, her whole body flushing pink. Greg groaned, partly from humiliation and partly from the frustration of being turned down.

"Yeah, sorry about that. She means well, but now you know why I don't introduce my parents to girlfriends," he said collapsing back down on his pillow. "They have no boundaries."

"So what made you change your mind? Remember this little excursion to your parents' place was your idea," Morgan reminded him as she nestled herself into the crook of his arm.

"Well, I figured we're in this for the long haul so I needed to do it quickly, like ripping off a band aid. Get it all out in the open. And after meeting your family, I knew you weren't likely to run."

"Haha, very funny. Just be thankful it was your mom and not my dad who caught us in bed together," she buried her face into his chest. "Oh my God! I still can't believe she found us like this." Greg flipped her on her back making her squeal as he hovered over her.

"Well, it could have been worse. She could have found us like this." He moved to kiss her neck drawing a moan from her.

The door creaked opened and they scrambled to cover themselves.

Greg's dad peeked from behind the door. "Pancakes, Greg. You coming? Oh hello Morgan." He gave a sheepish smile as he backed away from view. "See you kids downstairs."

Morgan looked at Greg horrified. "Have I told you how wonderful you are lately?" he said moving to kiss her but she brushed him off.

"Get dressed before some long lost cousin pops in on us. I'm sleeping in my own room tonight, and no more of this until we are safely back in Vegas." She draped the sheet around her as she crawled out of the bed.

* * *

Ten minutes of hurried dressing later, Greg and Morgan found themselves in the kitchen trying to avoid eye contact with either of his parents. Morgan kept her gaze downcast as she pushed her food around on her plate. She felt Else's eyes on her, surely watching and judging her every move. The silence surrounding the table was stifling.

"Morgan, can you pass the breasts, I mean butter?" Greg's attempt to start conversation failed miserably. Morgan stared at him wide eyed, her cheeks flaming red. His parents burst into laughter.

"Well, I guess we know where your mind is, son." Gordon laughed clapping an embarrassed Greg on the back. "Don't worry. We've all been there. In fact, I think you walked in on your mother and me a time or two when you were just a little lad."

"Dad! Too much information," Greg groaned.

"All I'm saying, son, is that might have been the first time someone walked in on you, but if you're doing it right, it won't be the last."

Morgan gagged on her juice, spurting a cough. "Gordon, dear, I think that's enough sex talk for the breakfast table," Else shot him a warning look. Gordon shrugged, relenting as he finished off his meal.

"Morgan, dear," Else continued, "I had planned to go shopping today. I was going to suggest you join me before your things arrived this morning but would still love the company if you're interested."

Morgan looked to Greg for an answer before replying, but he was staring at his plate still reeling from the uncomfortable chat with his father.

"Sure, that would be great if you're okay with it, Greg?" she asked. He looked up at her clearly lost. "Your mother invited me shopping. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, great. Sounds good," he answered.

"That gives us some more time for man talk without the ladies interrupting," Gordon threw his arm around his son who gave a brief stiff smile.

"Yep, so great," Greg mumbled as he stuffed his mouth full of pancakes.

* * *

After a few hours of browsing department stores, Else took Morgan to a quiet little tea house for lunch. The waiter took their order leaving them to fill in the awkward gaps with chatter.

"Thank you for taking me out today, Mrs. Sanders. I'm having a great time," Morgan said.

"Call me Else, dear. And the pleasure is all mine, although I'm afraid I did have an ulterior motive behind it," she met Morgan's confused look with a smile. "As you know, Greg is my only child, my baby. I know he acts like he is tough, being in law enforcement and all, but deep down inside he is still this fragile little boy. I guess what I'm trying to say is to be careful with him. I've seen the way he looks at you, and I don't think I've ever seen him so in love with something since his dog Oscar, who died about twenty years ago. Broke his poor little heart. I can't stand to see that happen to him again." Her expression turned into a cautious warning.

Morgan placed her hand on Else's in a reassuring manner. "Trust me. I understand. I love your son and would never intentionally hurt him. But I do think he is stronger than you give him credit for."

"Thank you. I know it's not my place, but it's just something a mother needs to hear," Else said. "So about this pending engagement of yours, have you considered where you would have the wedding? San Francisco is very nice in the summer."

Morgan drew in a deep breath bracing herself for the on pour of premature wedding planning that lasted the rest of lunch.

* * *

Greg sat lounging on the couch next to his father as they watched another action flick on the large flat screen tv.

"Here," Gordon said handing Greg a small box, "your mother wanted me to give this to you while they were shopping."

Greg took it, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "What is this?" he asked.

"Your grandma's engagement ring. Your mother wants you to give it to Morgan," his dad said not breaking his concentration from the movie.

"What?! We've only be dating a few weeks. Have you two lost your minds? You need to stop this." Greg said sitting up.

"It was your mother's idea. Besides, if you are headed that way, you have a ring. If not, save it for the next one. Just take it so I don't get in trouble," Gordon said moving to grab a bag of chips. "She's quite the girl. If I were you, I wouldn't wait that long."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll remember that if you don't chase her away by talking about our sex life. I mean, come on. What was that besides embarrassing?" Greg retorted stealing some chips from the bag.

"Just be glad you have a sex life to begin with," Gordon smirked. "I still remember the days of finding sticky Playboys under your mattress. You're at least a step up from that."

"God, thanks Dad. Let's just stop talking and watch the movie." Greg leaned back again, but his focus was now on the ring in his hand as his thoughts wandered.

* * *

"So, how was shopping?" Greg asked Morgan when they were finally alone.

"It was great, up until your mother compared me to your dead dog," Morgan said leaning back against him as they sat on the porch swing.

"What?" he asked.

"Never mind. How was your man talk with your dad?" she asked.

"Uncomfortable as always, but let's look on the bright side. Tomorrow we are headed back to Vegas and the moment we get to my place we can finish what we started this morning." He tilted down to kiss her. She smiled looking up at him.

"Looking forward to it. In fact, I got some new lingerie today in your favorite color. I'll wear them tomorrow for you."

"God, I love you," he said and then froze seeing the impact of his words in her thoughtful expression. She sat up straighter staring deep into his eyes.

"I love you too, Greg," she said.


	6. Chapter 6

"Man, you look fried. You know you're supposed to sleep at night now," Russell commented as he passed Greg in the hall on his way out. "The new job keeping you up?" Greg stifled a yawn.

"Something like that," Greg said. It was more like someone. In the past month since they started working opposite schedules, all the shared downtime that Greg and Morgan had were spent with each other. It was a routine that was becoming increasing harder to maintain. After leaving Morgan's place early this morning, his mind had been racing all day. Compounded by too little sleep and too little time with Morgan, she kept creeping into his thoughts. When he went to grab a cup of coffee or when he passed by her locker in the locker room, everything was a reminder that she wasn't around. He loved his new position and was finally starting to feel comfortable with the staff he was supervising. But something was missing and it made the shift drag.

Their time off had finally aligned for the next day and night. They had planned on doing something special with their limited time together, but Nick Stokes had called and said he was visiting town and wanted to get together with the gang. They agreed to go, neither one of them letting the other know how disappointed each of them were with the change of plans.

They still hadn't announced their relationship to anyone at work yet, not officially anyway. Some had their suspicions, but they had managed to keep the questions at bay and hoped to contain their secret a little while longer.

* * *

"You have your own ball?" Morgan picked up the bowling ball out of its bag, suppressing a laugh. Greg took the ball out of her hands.

"All the best bowlers do," he said. Morgan raised an eyebrow. "What? Don't look at me like that. This was Nick's idea." He placed the ball back in the bag zipping it up. For his homecoming visit, Nick had invited everyone to go bowling out at Bowl-A-Rama.

"Yeah, remind me to thank him for that." She made a face. Greg pulled her into a hug.

"Come on now. This can be fun. We can even make a game out of it. Who can do a better job of acting like we're not together?" he said.

"Or who can make the other crack?" Morgan let a sly smile slip. Greg frowned.

"Your dad's going to be there, so let's not do that,"he said. Morgan's smile widened as she glided her fingers along the skin at the edge of his jeans. She leaned in, brushing her lips across his neck. "Morgan, I'm serious. He will kill me."

"Just one more crime scene for me to process." Her voice vibrated against his Adam's apple. He closed his eyes, as her continued movements elicited a moan from him.

He gently pushed her away. "Later. I promise I will take you out somewhere special afterwards. Just let me make it through this without losing my mind."

"We'll see," she responded coyly as she walked away to get ready.

* * *

They arrived separately, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Everyone else was already there. Catherine, Sara, and Finn sat at one lane while Nick, Russell, Hodges, and Ecklie sat across at the other lane. Greg took a seat with the guys, giving Nick a brotherly hug on the way. Morgan sat next to Catherine and began putting on her rented shoes. Neither gave a glance in the other's direction.

"I'm here. Am I late?" Henry rushed up behind them.

"Yep, you're with the girls,"Nick said.

"Really?" Henry said, exasperated.

"Hey, you snooze, you lose. Besides, we need to even the teams." Nick slapped him on the back as Henry reluctantly made his way to the girls' team.

"Welcome to the winners' circle. We're going to kick their asses," Catherine remarked causing Nick and Greg to make a gesture that said 'bring it on'.

Nick went up first against Sara, while the rest of the former teammates chatted.

"Hey, Greg," Ecklie said turning to him, "Great job last week on the triple homicide. Keep it up and you're going to give D.B. here a run for his money." Greg thanked him and looked up briefly at Morgan across the aisle who gave him a quick smile and nod of approval.

"Well you might be gunning for my job, but I bet I can beat your bowling score any day," Russell said, readying for his turn. Greg laughed and watched as Morgan moved to get her ball. His eyes followed her, glued to her as she walked towards the lane in tight hip hugging jeans. He didn't realized how much he was staring until Hodges made a comment.

"What are you looking at Greg?" Hodges smirked. Greg shifted moving his focus away from Morgan.

"Nothing," he said.

"Really? Cause it looked like you were checking out Morgan's-" Hodges stopped when Ecklie's rigid glare fell on him, moving slowly to Greg.

"Who wants a beer?" Nick said walking up with several bottles in his hand, unwittingly breaking the uncomfortable moment. Greg grabbed one out of his hand and chugged it. Anything to keep his eyes averted from Ecklie's.

"My turn," he said, grabbing his ball and moving away from the sheriff. While he moved to roll, Morgan sipped on her beer. Finn distracted her with her own intrusive question.

"Hey Morgan, word from swing shift has it that you have a guy you haven't told us about. What's the story with that, huh?"

"Where did you hear that?" Morgan asked, gulping down the last of her drink to calm her nerves.

"Amanda said she heard you flirting on the phone the other day. She said you were starry eyed when you hung up. That you had the biggest grin on your face, so spill. Who's the guy?" Finn pressured leaning closer as she waited for her to respond.

Catherine and Sara both turned their attention to the conversation, putting Morgan on the spot. She watched as Henry and Greg faced off, quickly trying to come up with some reasonable answer.

"Oh that. It was just some guy I met a few weeks ago. No biggie. Catherine, is it your turn?" she deflected.

"Speaking of people keeping secrets, I ran into Reggie Howard yesterday," Henry said as he walked up. "Remember him? Anyway he said Greg had brought some hot date to a wedding they were at. He said Greg was all over her." All eyes turned to Greg, who at that exact moment dropped his ball onto his foot. He winced as he bent over to pick up the heavy thirteen pounds resting on his now throbbing toe.

"I need another beer," he stated reaching for another cold bottle and ignoring everyone's stares. Ecklie's phone rang, dissolving the silence as he left to take the call.

"Well, I'd like to know what everyone's secret is," Nick said. "I haven't had one date since I left for California. I'm in a deep dry spell." He turned to Greg, giving him a wink. "Maybe you can set me up with one of your new girlfriend's friends while I'm in town."

Morgan and Greg exchanged the briefest of worried looks before he answered. "I'll see what I can do, but only if you change the subject. Like, how is it being lab director?"

Morgan grabbed another beer to take the edge off as Nick gave them all the latest details on dealing with the murder and destruction in San Diego.

Forty minutes later, she and Greg were both beyond tipsy and it showed in their game.

"Come on, Greg. What the hell was that?" Nick yelled out as Greg shot another gutter ball and then stumbled back to his seat.

"Sorry, man. There was like three lanes and I couldn't figure out which one was mine," he slurred. Hodge gave him a weird look, matching the expressions of the other players on the team.

"Okay, you're cut off," Russell said taking the drink from Greg's hand. Morgan's high pitched giggle stole their attention as she clumsily made her way to the ball exchange. She tripped and failed to steady herself, falling into Greg's lap. She laughed and then rested her head on his shoulder closing her eyes.

"You smell so good," she whispered loudly as she snuggled against him, planting small kisses along his neck. Catherine's eyes widened at the same time Finn's smirk did. Sara and Nick swapped a knowing look while Hodges and Henry's jaws both dropped in surprise.

"Did anyone else drink that much?" Sara asked.

"Sorry, what did I miss? I'm going to have to leave for the -" Ecklie stopped when he caught sight of the inebriated couple. "What the hell is this?"he yelled. The sound of his voice sobered Greg enough to jump up causing Morgan to fall to the floor.

"Conrad," Russell moved to stand between a fuming Ecklie and a swaying Greg, "they had too much to drink. That's all. Look, I say we put an end to this game. My wife dropped me off, so I have to call a cab and can have the driver drop Morgan and Greg off at their homes." Ecklie hedged looking down at Morgan on the floor as Greg and Hodges helped her up.

"Hi Daddy," she giggled again as she tried to steady herself against a slumping Greg.

Ecklie returned his gaze to Russell. "Yeah, okay. Just make sure she gets home safe. I'll deal with this tomorrow. I have to go." He glanced at his watch frowning, then said goodbye and left.

Everyone packed up to leave as Russell called the cab company. Nick waited with him outside helping keep Greg stable as Russell did the same with Morgan. The cab pulled into the parking lot at the same time Russell's wife, Barbara, did. Placing Greg and Morgan into the car, Russell went to talk with his wife. He explained the situation to her.

"Do you think we should give them a ride home instead?" she asked.

"No, no. Look, I can just give the driver the addresses and pay him a little extra to make sure he sees them inside. They should be okay," he answered. "Just give me a minute."

Morgan laid against Greg in the cab as they waited to leave.

"So you're going to take me somewhere special now?" she asked, her words drawing out of her slowly.

"Yeah, baby," he said closing his eyes as he kissed her forehead. "I promised, didn't I?

* * *

Greg's head pounded as he stretched opening his eyes. He sat up looking around surprised to find himself in his room when the last thing he remembered clearly was being at the bowling alley. He felt movement next to him and turned to find Morgan sleeping beside him. It brought him some comfort, but not much against his raging headache. How much did he have to drink? He couldn't remember.

Morgan tossed, turning to his side as she threw her arm around his bare chest. The touch jolted her awake as she sat up, shocked. She looked at Greg, bleary eyed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"What time is it?" she asked. "Oh my God! Why does my head hurt so much?" He glanced down at her naked form drawing in a breath. The sight of her eased the discomfort in his head some, but her echoing words seem to bounce off his skull.

"I have no idea," he said rubbing his face. A glint of light hit his eyes blinding them temporarily. He opened them again trying to find the source when he stopped, the air leaving his lungs.

"Morgan, what is that?" he demanded looking down. She gave him at odd stare as she tried to orient herself. "Where did you get that?

"Get what?" she asked, still confused.

"On your hand," he sputtered. "That ring?" She looked down to see a large diamond engagement ring on her left ring finger. She gasped.

"I have no idea. Did you propose?" she struggled to breath.

"I don't know, but that's my grandmother's ring. Oh God, what happened?" he sat up, quickly sobering. "I need some coffee so I can think." He moved off of the bed, grabbing his pants. He hopped into them as he moved out of the bedroom, feeling the sharp pain in his toe now, but when he had his hand on the doorknob something on the dresser caught his eye. He moved toward it, snatching it up. He stared at it dumbfounded, raising his eyes from the papers in his hand to Morgan and back again.

"Greg, what is it?" she asked, concern flooding her weak voice. He walked in a trance back to the bed, not answering her, not registering anything else around him. He slumped against the backboard staring at his hands. "Greg, you are worrying me. What's wrong?"

"It's a marriage certificate," he choked. "We're married, apparently."

"What?!" She grabbed the papers out of his hands, fumbling through them. "Oh my God! Is this a wedding photo?" She pulled out a picture in a cardboard frame with the label of a cheesy wedding chapel on it. "Holy shit! Greg, what did we do?"


	7. Chapter 7

"How did this happen?" Morgan felt herself beginning to hyperventilate as she sat on Greg's bed rummaging through the spread out photos commemorating the wedding they couldn't remember.

"Are you looking for another answer besides alcohol?" Greg asked, sarcasm coating his words. He ran his hands through his hair as he paced the bedroom floor.

"Hey, don't take that tone with me. This little mistake was a joint effort." Morgan reached out grabbing at Greg. She took his arm and dragged him back to the bed. "We're in this together. For better or worse. In sickness and in health. And however else the rest of it goes."

Greg fell back against the mattress. "You forgot until death parts us, which will be really soon once your dad finds out." He let out a groan. "This is such a mess." He glanced over at Morgan who looked to be on the verge of tears. "God, Morgan, I'm sorry. I'm being such an ass."

"Yeah, well, there are worse things in the world than waking up and finding out you're married to me. At least, I hope there is," she gave a half-hearted laugh as she wiped away a tear.

Greg sat up and pulled Morgan down into his arms as they laid back together. "Baby, I love you." He stroked her hair. "I'm handling this all wrong. You know, having you as my wife has kind of been a fantasy of mine."

"Really?" she sniffled.

"Yeah, it's kind of hot. I just hate that we missed everything. I know it sounds corny, but I was looking forward to proposing and watching your reaction. And of course, the hot sex afterwards," Greg went on, as Morgan smiled giving him a gentle shove.

"Well, I'm not going to lie. These aren't exactly the kind of wedding pictures I want to frame or actually show people." She held up one such photo where both their eyes were closed and their clothes disheveled. "So where do we go from here?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I'm leaning towards the hot sex." Greg kissed her cheek.

"You know what I mean." She pulled away climbing off the bed. "Do we stay married? Do we tell people? How do we move forward?"

"I don't know. I just don't know," he answered, staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

"Hey boss," one of the CSI under Greg's supervision, a guy named Miles, clapped him on the back as he stood in the break room waiting on his coffee. "I hear congratulations are in order." Greg turned to him wide eyed.

"What? Why?" he stumbled over his words, feeling the sweat beginning to bead at his brow.

"You caught the serial rapist we've been chasing for six months," Miles said grabbing a donut from the tray next to the coffee maker.

"Right. Thanks," Greg said pouring his cup of coffee. The three other CSIs working under Greg strolled into the break room bringing their energy with them as they joked with each other and grabbed a quick breakfast. Greg turned to face them. There were two women, Rosalyn who was thin middle aged newbie still learning the ropes of her new career and Amy, a brunette three year veteran working on her level two status. Adam, a man in his late twenties who was new to the Vegas crime lab, rounded out the team.

"Hey Sanders, talk around the lab has it that you were mighty friendly with the sheriff's daughter yesterday. Anything you want to share with the team?" Rosalyn was anything but shy when it came to her new boss. Greg glared at her not answering.

"Okay, who's ready for today's assignments?" he said trying to stay professional.

Adam turned to Rosalyn, ignoring Greg. "Is that CSI Brody? Because, damn, she's hot."

"Enough!" Greg slammed his coffee cup on the table, catching everyone off guard. "We're here to work, not gossip. I'll put you on desk duty if you'd rather do that. Here's what we've got: Rosalyn and Miles, you have a DB in the park near the university; Amy, you have an assault out in Henderson; and Adam, you're with me. We have a murder in the alley behind the Planet Hollywood casino." He passed out the case files.

"Definitely something going on there if it makes the bossman act like that," Amy said almost under her breath as she took the file. Rosalyn laughed and they all filed out of the room with Adam waiting by the door for Greg.

Adam grinned as Greg made his way to him. "So, seriously, are you hitting that?"

"Adam, shut up," Greg said as they walked down the hall.

"Sanders!" the all too familiar voice shouted out behind them. Greg closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer before turning around.

"Yes, Conrad. Do you need me for something?" Greg asked nonchalantly.

"In my office now!" came the response. Greg turned back to Adam.

"You better get started without me. This could take awhile," he told him.

Adam smirked. "Good luck. I'm rooting for you. She's seriously hot, man." Greg sighed and followed Ecklie into the sheriff's office.

* * *

"Alright, mind explaining to me what that little performance you put on yesterday with my daughter was?" Ecklie asked, arms crossed leaning against his desk as he waited.

"Fine, Conrad. We're dating. Are you happy? We are both consenting adults. We're allowed to date. And yes, we should have told you and probably not had that much to drink. We definitely shouldn't have had that much to drink. But, there it is, so what else do you want from me?" Greg ranted, the exhaustion and stress of the past twenty four hours wearing on him.

Ecklie moved closer to Greg, sizing him up. "I expect honesty. I expect to be able to trust my employees, especially my supervisors, to come to me with all important matters, professional and personal. Can I expect that from you or did I make a mistake promoting you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Greg looked him in the eye, not backing down. "You're right, sir. You should be able to trust me. I should come to you with all important matters. We're family now, after all." Ecklie's face flashed confusion. "So here it is," Greg continued, taking a deep breath, "I married Morgan last night in some quickie Vegas wedding while we were both drunk."

Ecklie grabbed Greg by the collar and shoved him up against the wall. "You did what?!" he yelled, calling attention from the people passing by in the hall. Greg felt his body tense as he tried to push Ecklie away. A detective and a couple of cops maneuvered through the gathering crowd to pull Greg and Ecklie off of each other, restraining them.

"That's right. I'm your son-in-law, and since we're talking about important matters, here's the most important thing that you need to know: I love her. I will always love her, so you just need to accept that and back off." Greg broke free and stormed out of the room leaving Ecklie staring at him, stunned.

* * *

After his shift, Greg came home exhausted. All he wanted to do was sleep off the nightmare of a day and what was left of his massive hangover, but when he walked through the door and heard the tv playing in the other room, he knew his plans had changed.

He hesitated before entering the living room where the sound of the tv blared. He and Morgan didn't leave on the best terms that morning with him hedging on what to do about their future. Damn it! How could he have screwed everything up in one night? A night he still couldn't remember.

"Morgan?" he asked as he approached the room. "Look, baby, I'm sorry about earlier. Let me make it up to-" He stopped when he found Nick sitting on the couch.

"I can't say I wasn't hurt, man. But apology accepted." Nick shot him a smirk. "Sugar," he added puckering his lips before laughing.

"What are you doing here? Where's Morgan?" Greg asked looking around the room.

"She let me in on her way out. She did not seem happy, man. Oh, I found this on your doorstep." Nick held up a package from a place called The Chapel of Love. "I have to say it's pretty entertaining." He motioned towards the tv where Greg saw himself on the screen standing next to Morgan, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Shit! How long have you been watching this?" Greg lowered himself next to Nick on the couch.

"Oh, this is my third viewing and it gets better every time. Although, I can't believe you picked the cab driver to be your best man over me," Nick said leaning back and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "You could have at least invited us."

"God, is the room spinning or is it just me?" Greg buried his face in his hands. "How did you find out? Who else knows?"

"Well, I would say just about everyone at the lab after your blow up with Ecklie. I can't believe I missed that too. Sara texted me, and then I found this." He pointed to the screen. "Congratulations man." He nudged Greg on the shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks, except I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a divorce soon." Greg slumped back against the cushion.

"Why? Y'all are the perfect awkward couple. Besides, if you do, I'll lose another fifty bucks to Sara, and I can't afford to do that. It ain't cheap to live in California."

"Thanks for making this all about you. I'm kind of in a crisis here. Can you be serious and help me out?" Greg asked.

"Alright, alright. Lay it on me." Nick sat up straighter, focusing on Greg.

"I screwed up. She asked me what I wanted and I couldn't give her an answer, but I freaked, man. This isn't how it was suppose to go."

"So what do you want?" Nick asked.

"Her," Greg said. "I just want to be with her."

"Then tell her that," Nick said. "From the looks of it, I think she feels the same way." He nodded towards the tv where they watched a smiling Morgan pull an intoxicated Greg in for a passionate kiss. Greg smiled looking at his beautiful bride who seemed so happy lost in the captured moment. "When you two work it out, let me know because we have an overdue bachelor party to plan."

* * *

Greg knocked on Morgan's apartment door, his heart thumping in his chest. Morgan cracked opened the door, glaring.

"Greg Sanders! What is wrong with you? I have been calling you all night!" She stood in front of him, arms crossed, anger shooting out of her eyes. At that moment, she reminded him of Ecklie, the thought sending a shiver down his spine.

"Sorry, I broke my phone. I got in an altercation with, um, someone at work. My phone was in my back pocket and didn't make it. It's been a long day," Greg answered guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided her stare.

"You think it's been a long day! Well it's been an even longer night for me. First, I walk into the locker room only to be greeted by catcalls, whistles, and applause, because apparently everyone already heard that we stupidly got hitched the night before. Oh, and then my dad pulls, no drags is more like it, me into his office for an uncomfortable little chat that I was not at all prepared for. Thanks for that.

"Morgan, I'm so sorry. I totally understand why you're mad-" Morgan put her hand to his mouth cutting him off.

"I'm not done yet. Not only did I have to discuss my 'poor choices' with my dad, but he called my mother who in turn called your mother who then together ambushed me on a three way call about how I had deeply disappointed them by depriving them of the chance to see their only children get married. And on top of all of that, I picked the short straw and had to go dump diving for a severed head. And not just any dumpster, but the one outside the Sushi restaurant we go to all the time. Do you have any idea what week-old rotting raw fish mixed with human decomp smells like?" She shuddered, reliving it all.

He grabbed her wrist kissing the hand covering his mouth and pulling her arms down by her side as he made his way through the door. "You're adorable when you're mad," he told her. She narrowed her eyes. "And sort of scary too. Look, I'm sorry about everything. I'm going to make this all up to… wait, did you say you talked to my mom?"

"Greg, why are you here?"she sighed, moving away from him and walking further into the apartment. He followed her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Morgan, I want to do this right," he whispered in her ear. "Please look at me." She turned around as he knelt down on one knee. "Morgan Brody, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. You are what I look forward to everyday. I'm nothing without you. You are my future and I want to be yours. Will you please move in with me and stay my wife?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. "I know it's not much, but you already have the ring."

Morgan laughed as tears streamed down her face. "Yes, of course I will." She fell into him, kissing him as he held her. "Greg, I love you so much."

"So, time to celebrate? Hot sex and all?" he asked moving his kisses lower.

"Funny thing, since you brought up celebrating, um… our mothers are coming to visit next week. They want to throw us the wedding we didn't get to have. You know, plan every little detail. The venue, the dress, the caterer, and everything else. And since I was still kind of mad at you at the time, I might have offered to have them stay at your place. You're okay with that, right?" He groaned burying his face into her shoulder.

"Morgan!" She pulled him to his feet and dragged him towards the bedroom.

"Come on. I'll make it up to you."

 **Thanks for the reviews. They are much appreciated. : ) Keep them coming and let me know if you have any ideas for what you want to happen or anything you want me to add.**


	8. Chapter 8

The shower rained warm against their skin. It was the only safe place to talk now that the mother-in-laws had temporarily moved in and taken over.

"Morgan, she has already redecorated my whole apartment since she's been here. I went to sit in the recliner yesterday and it was gone. And my couch has throw pillows. Flowery throw pillows. Do I look like a flowery kind of guy to you?" Greg fumed.

"Do I have to answer that? And isn't it our apartment now?" Morgan leaned back letting the water run through her hair.

"Morgan," he gritted his teeth," you are missing the point. They have to go."

"I know, I know. My mom can be a little controlling and I'll talk to her about it. But let's look at the positive here. They are both getting along with each other, and they're paying for our wedding and honeymoon. Look, it's just a few more days and then they'll be gone…well until the wedding." She played with his hair as she washed it, reaching up to run her fingers through it.

"Okay. Three more days, but then they are out. It's already been almost three weeks. I need some alone time with my sexy wife." He moved his mouth against her ear. Morgan laughed as the movement tickled her. The door clicked opened and they both froze behind the shower curtain. A woman's humming came from the other side.

"Mom?" Greg hesitantly asked.

"Oh, sorry dear! I was just grabbing some towels for Judy. She was rearranging some things in the kitchen and knocked over a bottle of wine. Don't mind me," his mother answered.

"Oh my God!" Morgan breathed, burying her face into Greg's wet shoulder.

"Oh, Morgan, dear, is that you? We were going to ask you about the flower arrangements for the ceremony. Come talk to us when you get a chance."

"Mom! Get out!" Greg yelled.

"Okay, dear. I'm leaving," Else said, shutting the door behind her.

"Okay, you're right. They've become a little intrusive. I'll call about a hotel room for the next few days" Morgan said when they were alone again.

"Thank you." He reached down and kissed her.

"But, maybe you should be the one to tell them. You can even discuss the flower arrangements while you're at it, since you love flowery things and all."

"Hey, you're the one who invited them to stay here for weeks on end," he countered.

"Yes, but you are the one who forgot to lock the bathroom door."

* * *

"Good, you're both here," Morgan's mother said as Morgan and Greg entered the living room. "We want to show you something."

"Look Judy, before we discuss wedding stuff, Morgan and I would like to say something," Greg started.

"Oh, this has nothing to do with the wedding," Judy said.

"Greg, honey, we found you a house!" his mother squealed.

"A what?" Greg and Morgan both stammered together.

"Well you can't raise a family in a tiny apartment, and as much as I've tried, I've done about all I can with this limited space," Judy said, typing on the laptop in front of her. "This place is perfect for you two. Four bedrooms, two baths, and even a nice big backyard for the kids to play in."

"Kids? What kids?" Greg took a deep breath closing his eyes. "Look Judy-"

"Well you two married so quickly, we both just assumed that maybe there was something you weren't telling us quite yet," Else said giving them a sly smile. "Morgan, dear, take a seat. You really should be getting your rest."

"Mom, Else, that's very sweet, but I'm not-" she stopped short of finishing, her eyes growing wide. "Greg, can I talk to you for a minute?" She tugged on his arm dragging him out into the hall.

"Morgan, what is it?" he asked, still annoyed.

"Okay, don't panic or anything, but I need you to think back, all the way back to our drunken wedding night. Did we…um…use any protection?" she studied his face as what she was implying dawned on him.

"Morgan, what are you saying?" he tried to steady his breathing.

"I'm late, by about a week. I guess with everything going on, it just slipped my mind." She put her shaky palms to her forehead. "Greg, what if I'm…? I mean I think I might be…." She started to panic. "I need to sit down." They both sunk back against the wall, landing on the floor.

"Wow," Greg said, laying his head back against the wall looking up. "We could be…"

"Yeah," Morgan said mirroring Greg's stance. "What do we do?"

"First, we need to found out for sure. But before that, we need to kick our mothers out of this tiny apartment," he said, using air quotes over Judy's description of their place. Morgan gave a nervous laugh, resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Greg and Morgan stood in the aisle at the drugstore staring at the row of pregnancy tests.

"Wow, there are a lot of options," Morgan said picking up and comparing two different brands. "I don't know what do get or where to start-"

"Morgan? Greg? Is that you?" They heard a familiar voice call from the end of the aisle. Hodges waved, walking in their direction.

"Shit!" Morgan mumbled, scrambling to hide the evidence and look causal at the same time.

"Hodges, what are you doing here?" Greg tried to distract him while Morgan snuck the tests in her purse for the time being.

"Fiesta night at the senior center with Mother yesterday is reeking havoc on my intestinal track. The nachos are still not sitting well. Came to get some antacids." He held up a bottle of pink liquid. Morgan, now standing by Greg's side, cringed.

"More than we needed to know," she said.

"Why are you two here? Don't you live on the other side of town?" Hodges asked, his confused gaze moved between both them as they exchanged a nervous glance.

"We were just dropping someone off at a hotel, and…" Greg started.

"And, Greg wasn't feeling well so we came here," Morgan finished. She searched the shelf and grabbed the first thing she could find. "Here it is honey, your…anti-fugal cream," she read off the box. Greg shot her a pained look as he grabbed the box. Morgan shrugged and mouthed the word 'sorry' to him.

"Thanks, let's go," he muttered. "See you later, Hodges." He gently took Morgan's arm as he lead her towards the check out counter. A security guard stopped them at the end of the aisle, blocking their exit.

"Ma'am, I need to see your purse," the security guard said crossing his arms over his broad chest. Morgan held her breath and closed her eyes.

"This is not happening," she said to herself.

"Sir, we were planning on buying it. Honestly-" Greg pleaded but the guard held up his hand to stop him.

"Ma'am, your purse?" He moved his hand to Morgan, extending it palm up. Reluctantly, she handed over her purse and watched as he rifled through it pulling out the pregnancy tests.

"Oh my God! Are you pregnant?" Hodges's surprised shout rang out behind them.

The security guard looked at Morgan. "You need to come with me."

* * *

"Well, that was humiliating," Morgan dropped her purse on the kitchen counter when they arrived back at their apartment. After a half hour of trying to explain themselves, the drugstore manager let them go, giving them a stern warning and making them pay for the merchandise. Morgan went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. She popped the top and was about to take a sip when Greg stopped her.

"Morgan, you shouldn't be drinking. At least, not until after we know." He nodded toward the plastic bag on the table. Morgan groaned, slamming the beer can on the counter.

"Damn it!" she cried, breaking into heaving sobs.

"Morgan," he wrapped his arms around her trying to calm her, "it's going to okay. No matter what, it's going to be okay."

"We're not ready for this, are we?" she sniffled, leaning against him.

"Sure we are," he said, "if we have to be, we'll be ready." He tilted her chin up to look at him. "And you will be great. You might even beat my mom in the best mother category."

Morgan stifled a laugh. "Well, at least I'll be better at knowing when to knock."

"That's my girl." He hugged her tight. He grabbed the shopping bag from the table, handing it to her.

"Well, here goes nothing." She took the bag and headed to the bathroom.


	9. Chapter 9

"I think this is the best beer I've ever had, even if it is flat." Morgan took another swig from the aluminum can.

"I'll drink to that," Greg agreed clinking his beer can with hers.

"I can't remember the last time I was so excited to fail a test," she said stretching out on the couch and propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"Tell me about it." Greg leaned back and threw his arm over her shoulder. "That was close. Too close. We have got to be more careful."

Morgan stopped mid sip and placed her drink on the coffee table. "You know, we really should talk about the future and what we want."

"Right now? Why?" He asked.

"Well, last time we drank and didn't discuss our future plans we ended up married, so…" she said sitting up and studying Greg.

"Okay, you have a point. So…"he said matching her gaze, " where do you want to start?"

"Well, since we are on the subject, when do you want to have kids?" she asked.

"I don't know. A couple of years from now,"he answered. Morgan raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Really? A couple of years? You're not exactly getting any younger, Greg."

"Are you calling me old?" He scoffed.

"Well, you kind of are." He balked at her answer. She could help but laugh at how defensive he was becoming. "Okay, I'll prove it. Raise your hand if you were alive during the Bicentennial?" Greg stared at her. "Before MTV was created? Before Luke knew Vader was his father? Before-"

"You're going to throw Star Wars in my face? Okay, okay. You made your point. I'm an old man. Are you happy?" Greg pouted, moving to the edge of the couch.

"Awww…sweetie, it's okay. I actually think older men are incredibly sexy." Morgan smiled moving closer to him. He looked at her.

"You do, huh?"

"Oh yeah, you know, that dashing and distinguished look is a real turn on. I even like the greying hair." She kissed his cheek.

"My hair is not grey or turning grey. Let's just get back to what we were talking about before." He gently brushed her off. "So what timeline were you thinking?"

"Maybe start trying after a year. That way you won't be changing diapers while you're wearing them yourself. What do you think?"

"Enough of the old man jokes, okay? You know you're not that much younger than me," he said.

"Yes, but if we plan this right, our kid will be in kindergarten by the time I'm your age." Morgan smirked.

"Making you a hot mom, eh?" He started kissing behind her ear. "I'm looking forward to that."

"So you agree?" she asked, closing her eyes as his lips moved down her neck. He stopped looking up at her.

"I don't know. I guess there were things I wanted to do before we had kids," he said.

"Like what?" Morgan asked, interested.

"I don't know. Traveling? A spur of the moment road trip? Maybe a little skinny dipping?" he answered, nudging her shoulder with his.

Morgan grinned as her eyes lit up. "I have an idea." She scrambled off the couch and returned a minute later with a couple of pens and two notepads.

"Okay," she continued, "write down the top twenty things you want to do before we have kids. I'll do the same thing, and then we'll switch and add or veto anything we want. It will be our before baby bucket list. When we finalize the list, we complete it and then, after we do that, we can start trying for a family."

Greg took the notepad. "Okay, I'm game. But no peeking. I don't want you to steal any of the more mature ideas my ancient mind comes up with."

"Deal," Morgan said moving to the opposite end of the couch.

Twenty minutes later, Morgan looked up from where she was writing, laying down her pen. "Done." Greg glanced at her and smirked scribbling down a few more items before Morgan pulled the notepad from his hands. "Time to switch. Let's see what you've got." She dropped her own notepad in his lap.

They both sat silently reading the other's list.

"Hey I think I could get on board with number 5," Greg smiled at her.

"Yeah, well, you can forget number 12 and…oh, number 17. Absolutely no way on number 17," Morgan said striking through the list.

"Prude," Greg remarked. "Well, don't count on number 9. It's not really my thing. But if you put number 12 back on the table, I might consider it."

"Fine," she reluctantly bargained. "But I'm holding my ground on 17. And really Greg, number 6. Winning the lottery? These are suppose to be things we can actually accomplish." Her phone buzzed, causing her to groan. "Time for work. I really don't want to go. Who knows who all Hodges had gossiped to by now?"

"So don't. Play hookey. I won't tell. In fact, if you do then maybe we can work on crossing number 15 off your list," he offered.

"Well, your charm is hard to resist. How can I say no? But let's grab something to eat first. I feel like breakfast. Hey, maybe we can use your senior citizen discount," she said, grabbing her phone and racing out of the room before Greg could catch her.

"You'll pay for that. I'm adding 17 back to the list."


	10. Chapter 10

"Can I drive it?" Morgan asked running her hand along the shiny red motorcycle's fender. Greg got off the bike removing his helmet.

"Morgan, you can barely drive a car." She narrowed her eyes, glowering.

"Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight? If so, keep it up. Besides, I'm a great driver. You're the one who's too-"

"Responsible? Cautious? Good-looking?" Greg shot her a mischievous grin.

"I was thinking egotistical." She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow, staring him down. He laughed.

"I tell you what. How about I drive this time, you hop on, and we'll go for a ride?" he said. He kissed her cheek eliciting a small smile from her.

"Fine. You win this round, Sanders." She took the extra helmet from the back of the motorcycle and put it on. "What number was this again?"

Greg strapped his helmet back on and straddled the bike. "Eleven," he said as he revved the engine. Morgan sat behind him wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So three down, seventeen more to go, huh?"

"We've got time. Now, hold on, baby. I'm going to take you for the ride of your life."

They had been riding for about fifteen minutes when Greg screeched to a stop, almost knocking the bike over.

"What's going on?" Morgan shouted over the sound, clutching him tighter as the bike came to a halt. Greg gripped the handlebars, breathing heavily. He parked.

Taking off his helmet, he glanced back at Morgan. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" Greg helped her off the Harley.

"This dog, he just jumped out in front of me. Do you see it anywhere?" Greg asked. They both looked around, walking opposite directions on the stretch of sidewalk where they parked. A whimper came behind a row of trashcans. Morgan yelled to Greg and then went to where she heard the sound. Pushing the trashcans aside, Morgan knelt down calling the small frightened puppy to her. Slowly the puppy eased from his hiding place and circled Morgan, sniffing and contemplating her. She held out her hand and the dog licked it. He snuggled against Morgan whimpering once more.

Greg had walked up and approached them with caution.

"Hey little fella." He reached out to pet the small German Shepherd that Morgan was now cradling in her arms, stroking softly. The dog nipped at Greg's fingers and growled as he moved closer. Greg looked at Morgan hoping to shoot her a warning, but she was too busy staring lovingly at the pup.

"Morgan, I think that dog might be unstable. Maybe you should put it down and we can just go home." The moment Greg put his hand on her shoulder, the dog barked and jumped up snapping at his hand. Greg stepped back.

"Greg, the poor thing has no collar and probably no home." She looked up at him. "Can we take him home? Please, Greg. Look how sweet he is." The puppy nuzzled up against Morgan's arm making her case. Greg smiled and then glanced at the motorcycle.

"I would, Morgan, but we brought the bike and-"

"Just go home and get the car. We'll be waiting here. Won't we cutie pie?" She spoke baby talk to the dog petting behind his ear. Greg sighed.

"Fine. You win this round, Brody. I'll be back in a few minutes. Call me if anything changes." But Morgan was too absorbed with the puppy to catch a word he said.

"Uh huh. You are just the cutest thing." She laughed and the dog pounced in and out of her lap.

"Thanks babe," Greg smirked and then slightly frowned when he didn't get a response. "Oh you meant the dog. Okay, be back in a few." Reluctantly he walked to the bike and then drove off, not too excited about the prospect of a new pet.

* * *

An hour later they finally made it home with a new puppy and a ton of dog supplies in tow, Greg's wallet a few hundred dollars lighter. Every time Greg tried to get close to the little dog, the pup growled or snapped at him. But the dog adored Morgan and apparently the feeling was mutual.

"You poor thing, you are probably starving," Morgan said opening a can of dog food. The puppy gobbled it up and then jumped up on Morgan's pants legs. She picked him up.

"What should we name you?"

Greg rolled his eyes listening to the one-sided conversation as he lugged all the stuff they had bought at the pet store into the apartment. "How about Ecklie? He's like your dad reincarnated into dog form," Greg muttered.

Morgan shot him an evil eye. "We are not naming him after my dad. What about Barkley? You like that?" The puppy jumped up and yelped. "Barkley it is then."

Greg walked up to them and bend down to give the newly christened Barkley a rawhide bone. The dog reared back and growled, baring his small but sharp teeth. Greg looked up at Morgan.

"I'm still calling him little Ecklie."

* * *

The next few days were torture for Greg. Any time he tried to get close to Morgan, Barkley jumped in between them. Sitting on the couch watching a movie, the moment Greg reached his arm around Morgan's shoulder a growl caused him to move it. When he tried to put the moves on her in the bedroom, the moment he tried to go farther than second base Barkley was on the bed laying between them his head resting on Morgan's lap.

When Morgan was gone, the situation didn't get any better. Greg tried to avoid the dog only to find him chewing on his expensive sneakers or his video game controllers or anything else that the dog could sense held some value to Greg. So not only was he sexually frustrated, he was also very irritated.

That night he made up his mind. Barkley was not going to sleeping in their room. It was the only time that his and Morgan's schedules coordinated all week and he was not going to let it go to waste because of a damn dog.

"Morgan, we haven't had sex since you brought home that dog. Please baby, just let him sleep in the living room tonight. One night, that's all I'm asking," he pleaded with her as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror readily for bed, Barkley patiently sitting by her side.

She looked at his reflection in the mirror seeing the desperation in his eyes. She turned to face him.

"Okay," she replied, "Barkley can sleep in the living room for one night."

"Thank you," he mumbled kissing the curve of her neck. "I love you so much." Barkley growled pulling on Greg's pant leg.

* * *

It was four in the morning when the barking and whimpering finally became too much for Morgan. She looked over at Greg who was passed out on the other side of the bed. She shook her head, not believing he could sleep through something so loud and heartbreaking. Slowly, she got up and cracked opened the door.

"Come on, Barkley," she whispered to the traumatized pup. "You can sleep with me, but you have to be quiet."

* * *

Greg felt something hot and sticky on his cheek. He opened his eyes and jumped out of the bed startled as dog drool ran down the side of his face.

"How the hell did you get in here?" He glanced at the opened door, wide eyed. He looked back at the dog in disbelief. "You're a demon dog, aren't you?" he whispered. Morgan barely moved through the whole ordeal, finally enjoying some sleep.

Greg started walking toward the bathroom only to find something crunch underneath his feet. He looked down seeing for the first time the mess that Barkley had created. Trash was strewn all over the floor, a trail of it going from the bathroom to the bedroom and further into the hall. Greg groaned, running his fingers through his drool coated hair. His phone beeped. He picked it up. He only had twenty minutes to get dress and clean up the havoc the devil dog had wrought before he was late. He stared Barkley down who was now laying protectively next to a sleeping Morgan.

"You will pay for this, little Ecklie," Greg said before storming off to get ready.

* * *

"Whose Harley is that in the parking lot? Pretty sweet ride." Adam walked into the break room and grabbed a jelly doughnut before falling into the chair next to Amy, who cringed with disgust watching him.

"It's Sanders," Miles said sitting across from them, not looking up from the game of Candy Crush on his iPad.

Adam laughed, wiping the jelly that fell on his shirt. "What? When did he get that?"

Amy pushed her chair farther from Adam. "Have any of you noticed how strange he has been acting lately?"

"You mean how he's been on edge all the time, snapping at everyone," Rosalyn said sipping on her coffee. "I think the boss is going through a mid life crisis. He has the same symptoms my ex husband displayed before stupidly buying a Porsche he couldn't afford."

"No way, man. He's too young to be going through a mid life crisis." Adam leaned closer to Amy and smiled. "I think it's cause his wife is pregnant. Least that's what I heard."

"She's not pregnant," Amy made a face looking at Adam.

"How do you know? My source is pretty reliable," Adam countered.

Rosalyn laughed. "Hodges, the gossip from the lab. That's what you consider a reliable source. Are you sure this is the right job for you?"

"Besides, she bummed a tampon off of me last week when we covered swing shift together. She's not pregnant." Amy stood to grab some coffee herself.

Miles and Adam both gave her a look of revulsion.

"Oh, please, you work gory crime scenes on a daily basis but a woman's menstrual cycle is what repulses you." Rosalyn rolled her eyes.

Amy sat back at the table, quieter now, drink in hand. "I think there is more to it than that any way." She hesitated. "I wasn't going to say anything, but well, yesterday I saw what looked like a things-to-do-before-you -die list on his desk."

"A bucket list?" Miles looked up again from his game.

"Yeah," she lowered her voice, glancing around before speaking again. "I think he might be dying or something. I mean think about it. They had a quickie wedding even though they planned a ceremony for this weekend. He bought a motorcycle. He seems tired and upset all the time lately. It doesn't take a seasoned investigator to see what's going on."

"He has been acting different lately. I heard him on the phone the other day, and when he saw me, he seemed flustered. He was whispering to whoever it was and then hung up almost immediately when I came in. I think he was said something about scheduling an appointment. Odd, right?" Rosalyn said, absentmindedly stirring her coffee.

The team was silent for a moment, staring at the table, contemplating the evidence. They didn't hear when Greg walked up to the table beside them.

"Is everyone okay? You guys are pretty quiet," he said surveying the group. Amy looked at him on the verge of tears.

"Excuse me." She ran out of the room before anyone could see her cry. Rosalyn stood to follow her.

She patted Greg comfortingly on the back. "Sanders, you doing okay? You can tell us if there is something going on. We are all here for you."

Greg looked at her confused. "I'm fine. Are _you_ doing okay?"

Rosalyn shook her head, a solemn expression lingering on her face. "You men are so stubborn. I'm going to go check on Amy," she said leaving.

"What's going on with them?" Greg poured himself a cup of coffee.

"They think you're dying." Miles's gaze was focused on his game.

"What?!"

"Yeah, I didn't hear everything, something about a mid life crisis, your crappy attitude lately, and a bucket list. Oh, and something about a phone call and you being secretive. Other than that I got nothing." Miles focus never wavered as he spoke, moving his finger across the iPad.

"Hold on. They think I'm dying and going through a mid life crisis?" Greg asked still confused. He ran his fingers through his now clean hair.

Adam leaned back in his seat. "Do you think Amy would go out with me?" Miles and Greg both stared at him.

"I think you're delusional," Miles said. "And," he focused his attention on Greg now, "you have been acting weird lately, so it's safe to assume you are in some sort of crisis."

"Nice bike, by the way," Adam said stuffing his face with another doughnut.

Greg sighed. "I'm not dying or going through a mid-life crisis. That list is something Morgan and I are doing, goal-setting stuff. Same with the bike. I can explain everything. The phone call, well we got this dog I hate. Actually, it hates me. It's ruining my life. I was going to see if I could get someone to take it off our hands. But everyone knows everything around here, and I don't want Morgan to find out." Greg's phone beeped. He looked at it. "Sorry, got a meeting with the sheriff. I'll be back later. Tell the girls that I'm fine."

* * *

Greg sat in the chair next to Russell for the monthly supervisor meeting. Russell patted him on the back.

"You look tired, bud. Everything okay?" Russell asked.

"I'm not dying if that's what you're asking. I'm fine." Greg rubbed his face, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his legs, resting his left foot on his right knee. Russell looked at Greg's shoe and then back at him.

"Um, Greg, I think you have-" he started to whisper when Ecklie interrupted him.

"Sanders, what the hell is on your shoe?" The sheriff yelled from across his office. Greg looked at the bottom of his foot and when he saw it, he cursed under his breath. He peeled the condom off the sole of his shoe and quickly tossed it in the trash.

"Sorry, our dog got into the trash and some of it must of ended up on my shoe," Greg said nervously. Ecklie walked over and looked down in the trashcan and then back at Greg, his glare as cold as ice. "Morgan's just got some new birth control, so we had to…" He always said too much when he was nervous. Curse that damn dog, he thought.

"Sanders," Ecklie closed his eyes and braced his hands on the desk, "I'm still getting used to the fact that you are married to Morgan. Please don't tell me more than I need to know."

"Yes sir," Greg sunk into his seat, mortified. This was the last straw. The dog had to go.

* * *

Greg's phone buzzed when he reached the apartment door, ready for some peace. He reached down and picked it up, reading the text. It was from Morgan's mother.

 _Left Morgan's wedding dress on the bed because the closet was blocked. Can you hang it up for me? Thanks! See you at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow._

Greg opened the door and realized it was very quiet. Too quiet.

"Barkley?" he called out not getting a response. "Satan?" he tried, seeing if the dog would answer. Nothing.

The bedroom door was cracked open. He could already feel a sense of dread as he approached it. Pushing it back, he looked in. The bottom half right corner of Morgan's wedding dress had been chewed off and ripped to shreds. Laying on the floor next to what looked like a pile of vomit was Barkley, whimpering and rolling on the floor, obviously in pain.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry, it's been a while. Hope you like it. Sorry if it's short. I'll try to update more, if life doesn't get in the way, which it has a tendency of doing.**

Greg raked his hands through his hands as he sat in the waiting room outside the vet's office. Terrible memories came flooding back, reminding him of the day his childhood dog was hit by a truck. God, how he cried. He had loved Oscar so much. Missed him even more. He felt the tears prick at his eyes, and quickly brushed them away with the swipe of his hand.

Oscar didn't make it, but Barkley had to. Morgan loved that dog, and despite their rocky start, Greg was starting to grow fond of him too. Okay, fond might have been a little strong. He barely tolerated the pooch, but he still didn't want him to die.

The ding from the bell signaling the opening door tore his attention away from his thoughts. There stood his beautiful bride, dressed in a gold dress with a headband that had sparkling pink tool trailing from it and letters attached reading "bachelorette." A matching pink sash was draped across her dress. Sara and Catherine stumbled in behind her, Catherine donning a necklace of phallic charms and Sara a cheap plastic hat. Both had a glassy-eyed look.

Morgan spotted Greg immediately, the worried expression on her face wiping away any hint of the amusement the night had probably already held.

"Greg! I just got your message. How's Barkley?" She hugged him.

"No word yet. Did I interrupt something?" He nodded in the direction of Sara and Catherine who were laughing hysterically at some inside joke. The office staff was staring at them bewildered.

Morgan turned to look at her entourage and then back to Greg.

"No, no. They are enjoying my bachelorette party much more than me. I don't think the bride is suppose to end up being the designated driver. But…well, let's just say they got a whole lot more out of the entertainment of tequila shots and dancing half naked men than I did." Greg made a face.

"You went to a strip club?" he scoffed as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Trust me. I had no fun. All I could think about were my boys at home."

"So you're categorizing me with the dog now? That's comforting. It makes me feel really secure about my masculinity." Greg rolled his eyes making Morgan laugh.

"Aww…Baby, are you jealous?" she teased, kissing along his clenched jawline.

"No," he shivered under her touch. "Maybe a little."

A loud noise drew their focus back to Sara and Catherine who had collapsed on the floor in a heap of uncontrollable laughter after knocking over a cardboard cutout of a Great Dane reminding customers to get their annual shots.

"My bridesmaids," Morgan shook her head, smiling. "I wonder if baby showers ever get this crazy."

Greg whipped his head to face her, wide-eyed.

"Calm down," she continued. "I'm just considering how to keep these two from acting like crazy fools at future milestones…a long way off from now. I mean, if I don't disown them by then because…wow!" She shot him a teasing grin as the two women were now making inappropriate gestures with the charms on Catherine's necklace.

Fifteen minutes later, a man in scrubs called from the office door. "Mr. Sanders, please come with me."

Morgan grabbed Greg's hand as they walked toward the vet's office together, leaving Catherine and Sara, now snoring, asleep on the waiting room chairs.

* * *

"Barkley will have to wear a pet cone for a week because of the stitches." The vet held up a funnel like contraption. "But he sure have a full recovery. I'd like to keep him overnight though for observation."

"Can we see him?" Morgan asked, squeezing Greg's hand.

The vet smiled. "Of course. Although, he might be a little groggy still from the anesthesia."

He led Morgan and Greg into a small room where Barkley laid in a pen. The little dog didn't get up but wagged his tail vigorously at the sight of them. Morgan knelt beside him and rubbed his belly earning small kisses from the puppy. Greg was more cautious, petting softly behind his ear, but when the pup turned his attention to him and whimpered and nuzzled his hand, Greg couldn't help but choke back a quiet sob. Okay, maybe he was more fond of the dog than he had originally thought.

Morgan watched the interaction between them, tilting her head and cocking a smile.

"Greg Sanders, are you crying?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he answered wiping his eyes. Morgan wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Whatever you say, you big softie." She lean into his ear, whispering. "You know, you're really sexy when you show this sensitive side. Want to know what would be the perfect ending to my bachelorette party?" He met her gaze. "Going home and having a personal striptease by my husband." She winked.

Greg felt his face flush. "Alright, we'll count that as number nine and cross it off the list, but hold that thought until you see your dress."

* * *

Morgan frowned holding up the frayed end of her wedding gown. Greg stood off to the side nervously watching and waiting for her reaction.

She sighed, running her fingers along the disconnected beading.

"I guess this means I'll have to wear my mother's wedding dress after all," she gave a sad smile. "She practically begged me to. But it's from the eighties, so it's kind of gaudy." She picked up her phone and scrolled, showing the image to Greg who blanched at the sight.

"This is fixable." He walked over, resting his fingers on Morgan's over the dress. A line of beads fell off in his hand. "Or maybe it's not, but we can get you a new dress. This is your day, Morgan. You deserve the best, not your mother's hand me downs."

"There's that sweet side of you again. You know, that striptease you promised could really cheer me up right now." She placed her hands on Greg's biceps pulling him closer so that his hard chest pressed up against hers.

Greg grinned, giving her a chaste kiss as he began unzipping his jacket. "Only if you insist, Mrs. Sanders."

Morgan sat down on the bed, keeping her eyes fixed on Greg. "Oh, I insist."

* * *

Morgan woke up to find a note left on Greg's empty side. It read: _Had to go to work early, Baby. Hope you enjoyed the show last night. I personally liked the encore a lot more myself. I'll see you tonight, and then tomorrow at the altar…again. Maybe we'll remember the ceremony this time. I have a friend whose wife owns a bridal boutique. I think she might have a dress for you, already paid for of course. Remember, the best is yet to come. Love, Greg._

Morgan smiled, tracing over his words with her finger. One more day until she would have the wedding she had always dream about. Two more days until she would be on her honeymoon with the man of her dreams. Everything felt so right. What could possibly go wrong?


End file.
